Action Alerts

Urge Grand Forks, B.C., to Oppose Trapping, Killing Deer
The city of Grand Forks has passed a plan that would permit the cruel netting/trapping and killing of deer to control the resident deer population!
Despite being informed of the extreme cruelty inherent in these methods, officials have decided to allow them anyway. Netting/trapping deer is inhumane in all respects. Every minute spent entangled or trapped is a terrifying eternity for these easily frightened prey animals, who can badly injure themselves in frantic
attempts to get free. And the deer who are removed or killed aren’t the only victims: Mass killings tear families apart, leaving young and weak animals vulnerable to starvation, dehydration, and predators.Take Action
Please politely urge Grand Forks officials to refrain from trapping/killing animals and to stick with
effective, humane deer control methods.
Send polite comments to:
The Honorable Brian Taylor Mayor of Grand Forks
btaylor@grandforks.ca

1. We need to subsidize Organic Vegan Farming more than what exists for corporate animal farming.

2. Organic Vegan Farming is an environment friendly agriculture that we should choose for a sustainable living. It can absorb CO2 in the atmosphere to decelerate climate change.

3. Subsidizing organic farming can produce abundant nutrient and healthy foods for all consumers with affordable price which in return will reduce the Medicare cost tremendously. It is the first baby step to accommodate the trend of increasing population who are on a plant-based diet.

4. Subsidizing organic farming can encourage and help animal farmers to make smooth transition to organic vegan farmers. The policy will help to reduce methane, the most potent Greenhouse Gas and the primary killer for the current climate change disasters all over the world.

Taking a cleaver to meat for emissions in its making
The latest lob comes from the Environmental Working Group, which adds new number-crunching to the debate. The national nonprofit commissioned a life-cycle analysis of 20 common foods – meat, fish, dairy, and vegetables. To be sure, agriculture accounts for only about 7 percent of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. But it’s hard for many to change transportation overnight. Household energy use is easier, albeit still a tweak – adjust the thermostat, turn out some lights, and unplug devices. But food? This part of your life you can change with one trip to the store or the farmer’s market. The upshot: “If everyone in the U.S. ate no meat or cheese just one day a week, over a year, the effect on emissions would be the equivalent of taking 7.6 million cars off the road,” the group says.
Read the report here:http://breakingnews.ewg.org/meateatersguide/

Veggies, Fiber Keep Diverticulitis Away
Following a strict vegetarian diet seems to confer a reduced risk of diverticular disease, researchers say. In a prospective study, vegetarians in the U.K. had a nearly one-third lower risk of diverticulitis, diverticulosis, or diverticulum of the large or small intestine over about 11 years compared with their omnivorous counterparts.

Roundup of Wild Horses Must Stop, Court Rules
The 9th Circuit has temporarily halted the round-up of more than 2,000 wild horses from lands in eastern Nevada while it considers an advocacy group’s motion to permanently stop the culling project. The order came late Friday after U.S. District Judge Howard McKibben in Nevada denied the Cloud Foundation’s request for an injunction to stop the round-up, which was supposed to begin on Saturday.

Law Requires Cross-Reporting Child and Animal Abuse
State agencies that deal with animal abuse are preparing to share that information with authorities that investigate abuse of spouses and children. On Oct. 1, the law goes into effect that requires animal control officers and social workers with the state Department of Children and Families to share information on cases.

Environmental groups sue to stop Oakland Zoo expansion project
Environmentalists say they want to protect the roaming foxes and coyotes, as well as the Alameda whipsnake, a threatened species, and rare native plants such as the bristly leptosiphon and purple needlegrass. “It’s ironic that the Oakland Zoo claims to stand for conservation,” said Ruth Malone, co-chairwoman of the Friends of Knowland Park. “The zoo’s unwillingness to go through a full environmental review process for this project is just shocking. Since the City Council shirked its duty to analyze reasonable alternatives, we were left with no options but to sue to get them to follow the law.”

Drug may revolutionize control of dog population
Although the drug is years away from being approved by the Food and Drug Administration, Mayer will soon return to India, where she has been working to eradicate the spread of rabies in stray dogs there.

Animal testing ‘requires tighter regulation’
Dr Robin Lovell-Badge, from the National Institute for Medical Research, said: “Everyone laughs at talking meerkats and cats with opposable thumbs, but if we were actually doing that in the labs I don’t think people would be so happy.”

Little Lambs, Not the Sheep, Get Early Lessons in the Rodeo Life
Mutton busting, as the sport is known, is the pint-size equivalent of competitive bull riding. Children cling to the backs of sheep, and generally speaking, whoever stays on the longest wins. Kaden was among the 20 or so children, most 3 to 6 years old, who competed during a mutton-busting event put on by Wool Riders Only at the Arapahoe County Fair. Would-be riders were far from exultant. Handlers shoved bleating animals into the sheep-size steel chute and hoisted children onto their mounts.

Rodeo horse dies from back injury
According to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, this is the second time a rookie saddle bronc has died at rodeo in the last three years. In 2009 a horse named Strawberry Fudge died from neck and head injuries when it fell to its side shortly after the chute opened.

Race-day medication hot topic at upcoming meetings
Breeders’ Cup Ltd. will implement changes to its race-day medication policies starting with next year’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships, and several other industry leaders will be busy discussing the topic in the next several weeks. The Association of Racing Commissioners International called for the end of race-day medication within five years earlier this year.

USDA to launch 2011 feedlot animal-health study
The information that feedlot producers provide will be used to estimate the use of certain management practices— such as those related to beef quality assurance—and to identify potential risk factors associated with disease on U.S. feedlots. Understanding the risk factors for disease can improve disease prevention strategies and help pinpoint areas where additional research may be needed.

Snail bait is unseen hazard for dogs
Snail bait can be highly toxic to dogs. The most common brands contain metaldehyde, which, when ingested, initially causes nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. This can lead to severe retching and vomiting.

Former Wheaton woman tends to Alaskan wildlife
Beckmen often investigates the causes of death among wildlife populations. “Satisfying is when I investigate wildlife mortalities … and am able to figure out why the animal died, especially when it can prevent further deaths,” she said. “Really, wildlife management is managing people,” she said.

Wyoming Wolves to be Shot on Sight
A plan unveiled last week by the State of Wyoming and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) would allow wolves across most of the state to be shot on sight, without a permit and without limit. No protections for pregnant or nursing wolves, no protections for pups. Just a license to kill wolves across most of the state.
Tell Secretary of Interior Salazar that this unscientific shoot-on-sight “management” plan is unacceptable and ask that he use his power to force Wyoming to come up with a responsible, science-based management plan.

Save Our Songbirds…STOP the Tar Sands Pipeline
The proposed Keystone XL pipeline would carry dirty tar sands oil from Canada’s Boreal forest to refineries in Texas, driving more destruction of songbird habitat, fueling global warming, and threatening drinking water for millions of Americans. The U.S. State Department is rushing towards approval of this fiasco, which is designed to enrich the oil giants.
Tell Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to reject the proposed disastrous Keystone XL pipeline. The Keystone XL pipeline will enrich the oil giants while Americans pay for it with our environment, our climate and even our lives.

Tell the EPA to Protect Our Wildlife and Waterways from Pesticides
Nearly a billion pounds of pesticides are used each year in the United States. Pesticide contamination is pervasive in aquatic habitat for fish and wildlife throughout the country and in the public water supply, causing needless threats to both wildlife and human health. Many pesticides have been shown to contribute to the loss of native fish and amphibian populations and cause significant bird kills. They’re a particular threat to wildlife species facing extinction.
Tell the EPA to reduce toxic pesticides in our waterways by protecting habitat for imperiled wildlife from pesticides and increasing water-quality monitoring for pesticides.

Animal experiments increase again
The number of animal experiments carried out in the UK rose by 3% last year, according to government figures. The rise was largely due to an increase in the use of genetically modified (GM) and mutant animals, a trend that shows no signs of abating. The news comes as campaigners warn a new EU directive threatens standards of welfare for UK lab animals.

Ballot measures scuttled
Both sides are carefully calling the agreement between the nation’s egg producers and HSUS leadership a “victory.” For industry, that means that two ballot measures set for November that would have asked Oregon and Washington voters to ban the use of cages in egg production will now be withdrawn. Why? Mostly because the odds of victory were looking less certain for HSUS.

Montana: New Deal Reached on Wildlife Protection
The Obama administration on Tuesday struck a new deal with wildlife advocates that would require the Interior Department to consider greater protections for hundreds of imperiled animals and plants. The agreement was filed in Federal District Court in Washington by lawyers from the government and the Center for Biological Diversity.

Pro-Whaling Countries Delay Sanctuary Vote
So what exactly did the International Whaling Commission’s meeting accomplish? Not much. The main issue — the creation of a whale sanctuary in the South Atlantic — has been postponed until next year. Representatives of pro-whaling countries stormed out of the meeting in order to prevent a vote on the whale sanctuary from taking place.

No more monkey business for senators
A group of lawmakers is seeking to put the kibosh on transporting primates in the exotic pet trade. Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), David Vitter (R-La.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) are standing up for our genetically similar, hairy friends by introducing the Captive Primate Safety Act. The measure would make it illegal to move monkeys, apes and other non-human primates across state lines in order to sell them.

The foundations of empathy are found in the chicken
The study is the first to demonstrate that birds possess one of the important attributes that underpins empathy, and the first study to use both behavioural and physiological methods to measure these traits in birds.

Real testimonies: Rewarded for being vegan
For many people, the transition to being vegan begins with the obvious shift toward eliminating animal-based foods, and the adoption of a plant-based diet. Since animal products are so toxic to the human body, many people report that their health drastically improves as a result.

Adventures of a Vegan: More Than ‘Meats’ the Eye
When you hear the word “vegan,” what comes to mind? For most of us, at least in Morris County, vegan is not exactly normal. We think of hippies or celebrities; people who want nothing to do with regular society or who can afford personal chefs. We don’t think of the girl next door. This weekly column will track my adventures as a normal girl attempting to stick to my normal life, despite shirking the normal American diet.

On the Menu: Viva vegetarian!
Vegetarian and vegan diets have gained mainstream acceptance in recent years. While the percentage of the population that strictly follows such diets is small, a growing number of Americans are reducing the amount of meat in their diet to improve their health.

Banned From the Barn
Iowa’s ag-gag law failed to pass before summer recess last week: a good thing. The ridiculous proposition, which died along with similar ones in Minnesota, Florida and New York, would have made it illegal to videotape or photograph in the agricultural facilities that house almost all of our chickens and pigs. Sadly, a lack of idiocy is not the same thing as a presence of wisdom, and the demise of ag-gag won’t give us a clearer view of food production.

Carrey & Sandler targeted in animal rights letter campaign
Activists were appalled to see real creatures in films like Mr. Popper’s Penguins and Zookeeper alongside computerised doubles and now they’re appealing to the stars in person, asking them to boycott films that feature performing animals. Letters have been sent to Carrey and Sandler as well as Steve Carell, Will Ferrell, and Ben Stiller – all of whom have starred in and/or produced films that featured wild animals.Carrey & Sandler targeted in animal rights letter campaign.A “Bones” star’s controversial vegan pregnancy
Emily Deschanel talks about staying on the vegan path even as she prepares for motherhood, explaining, “Saying no to meat makes me feel stronger inside; I feel aligned with my morals and ethics. I still have to defend myself because people don’t understand it.

Beehives stop elephant crop-raids in Kenya, Africa
Innovative beehive fences have helped a community in Kenya to successfully protect crops from elephants, according to research. Scientists found the hives to be a very effective barrier; elephants turned away from them in 97% of their attempted raids.

Food Companies Act to Protect Consumers From E. Coli Illness
The federal government has spent years considering whether to take steps to help keep dangerous strains of E. coli bacteria out of the food supply, a question that has become even more urgent in the face of a deadly wave of E. coli sickness that swept through Europe and raised alarms on both sides of the Atlantic. Now, two major American companies, Costco Wholesale and Beef Products Inc., have gotten tired of waiting for regulators to act.

Please send e-mails, letters or faxes to all members of Seattle City Council members below, asking them to support the immediate release of the elephants to The Elephant Sanctuary. Even a single-sentence message like: ”Send the elephants at WPZ to The Elephant Sanctuary” will have an impact.

Consider the following points when writing your letters on behalf of the elephants incarcerated at Woodland Park Zoo:

They have an inhumane amount of space (less than 1 acre), whereas they would have between 300 and 2200 acres at The Elephant Sanctuary.

They are locked up in a small barn stall 16 – 17 hours a day for 7 months of the year due to temperatures and wetness. At The Elephant Sanctuary, they would have 24-hour outdoor access all year long.

Many elephants with symptoms similar to the elephants at WPZ, have thrived at The Elephant Sanctuary with it’s hundreds of acres of varying terrain, fresh foliage, and water features.

The Woodland Park Zoo is managed privately but is still owned by the City of Seattle and overseen by the Parks, Neighborhoods & Education Committee.

IDA urges you to skip the new Kevin James movie Zookeeper. This comedy was no fun for the captive wild animals forced to perform, including a lion, monkey, giraffe, and an elephant. Even more objectionable is the controversial death of the giraffe Tweet during production of the movie, and use of the elephant Tai, whose cruel training was graphically exposed in a video in which she and other elephants held by Have Trunk Will Travel are shocked with an electric device and repeatedly struck with a bullhook, a heavy steel rod resembling a fireplace poker that is used to dominate elephants and inflict physical punishment. Wild animals have no place in entertainment and they suffer greatly for it. They are denied all that is natural to them and subjected to inhumane training that lasts their entire lives. Every ticket purchased for Zookeeper ensures that this cruelty continues. So please ask your friends, family and co-workers to join you in avoiding this and other films that exploit wild animals for entertainment.

H.R. 2210: Sportsmanship in Hunting Act of 2011
Tell your Federal Representative and Senators to Support H.R. 2210: Sportsmanship in Hunting Act of 2011 that would prohibit the interstate transport of exotic mammals for the purpose of trophy hunting or penning in smaller than 1,000 acres, and would also ban remote-controlled Internet hunting.

Sponsors: Steve Cohen, (D-Tenn.), and Brad Sherman, (D-Calif.)

Bill description: This bill would prohibit the interstate transport of exotic mammals for the purpose of trophy hunting or penning in smaller than 1,000 acres, and would also ban remote-controlled Internet hunting.

Sponsors drop hens initiative after accord with egg producers
The sponsors of a Washington initiative to give egg-laying hens better living conditions called it quits Thursday after reaching a national deal with commercial egg producers to pursue federal legislation. The backers of Initiative 1130 said they’d already collected more than 350,000 signatures.

Egg Producers and Humane Society Urging Federal Standard on Hen Cages
Two groups that are usually squawking at each other — egg farmers and animal welfare advocates — announced an unusual agreement on Thursday to work together to seek a federal law that would require larger cages and other improved conditions for the nation’s 280 million laying hens. The industry said the changes, in most cases, would be phased in over the next 18 years at a cost of $4 billion. It is far from clear whether such a law could be passed. One potential obstacle is opposition from other poultry or livestock farmers, who may be worried that similar laws could some day apply to them.

Agreement Raises Hopes & Fears for Egg-Laying Hens
Many animal advocates fear that any effort to reform agribusiness practices will placate the public with illusions of “humane” treatment of farmed animals having no basis in the reality of actual production practices. They fear that advocacy for a compassionate vegan diet is undermined by campaigns that seek to mitigate some of the cruelest abuses of an inherently animal abusing industry. They fear that whatever welfare reforms are enacted into law will not be enforced regardless, and that all or most efforts to reform animal agribusiness are a betrayal of the animal victims and amount to deals with the devil.

Undercover Video Brings Justice To Lab Animals
Four former workers at a North Carolina testing lab have been indicted on felony animal cruelty charges, following an animal rights group’s undercover investigation that captured video images of animals being hit, kicked and thrown, officials said Wednesday

New law sets standards for livestock care
Virginia has legally-mandated standards for the care of agricultural animals, such as cows and horses. The new law complements existing animal cruelty laws, which don’t allow charging livestock or poultry owners with neglect if the situation if not serious enough to meet the threshold of cruelty. The legislation will allow for earlier intervention in cases of animal neglect.

Fewer pets killed because of spay, neuter programs
It took years of campaigning to change thinking about sterilizing pets, but it has paid off. This year fewer than 4 million unwanted dogs and cats will be euthanized, down from as many as 20 million before 1970. There are several reasons: Aggressive adopt-a-pet campaigns are carried out every day in cities all over the country and breed rescues save many dogs. But animal experts believe spaying and neutering has played the biggest role in saving so many lives.

Some Humans and the Chimp They Loved and Tormented
Nim, thrown from one home to another, vulnerable to cruelty and neglect and dependent on the kindness of strangers, resembles the titular hero of a Dickens novel, an orphan buffeted by circumstances whose biography is also a fable of individual virtue and social injustice.

What Do You Think of Vegan Living?
I asked two Merokean males in their mid-twenties about their thoughts on veganism. Both are educated, successful young men who I’ve always found to be open-minded omnivores. One is in the political arena and the other is a corporate type. Their responses were great kindling for this week’s fire of conversation.

Little Amazon is a pet store at 10316 Aurora Avenue.
Currently they do not have puppies but they are planning on ordering a shipment for the summer. Customers have been told that the puppies come from Kansas and Texas, and that they can order any breed a customer wants.

Calendar

January2019

NARN's board of directors meets monthly to discuss our campaigns and administrative issues. Guests are welcome to attend if we have enough time on our agenda.

If you wish to have an agenda item added to the NARN Board Meeting, please email info@narn.org at least a day in advance. You can also send us a message on Facebook anytime or even the day of the meeting and we'll get back to you. All NARN Board Meetings are held in Seattle.

Join local activists to help educate the public about the dangers of purchasing dogs from places like Puppyland. Puppyland is a new store in Puyallup that sells puppies from breeders.

The demo is until 3pm, but don't feel that you have to be there the entire time. Come for an hour or two to help hand out fliers or hold a sign.

This is a peaceful demonstration, inspired by our desire to speak out against the dangers of allowing businesses like Puppyland to exist in our communities. Join us in providing free, educational information to the public about the dangers of supporting backyard breeding practices and puppy mills, the importance of spaying and neutering pets, the time and money it takes to responsibly care for a living creature, and the positive effects of screening pet owners through application processes.

For updates see the Facebook event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/2093159060741059/

Come join us for a delicious brunch at the fabulous Celest Cafe AND write some letters for animals.

NARN provides the stationery, pens, stamps, sample letters, and ideas for what to write -- just bring yourself. You can even bring your laptop if you'd prefer to type or email your letters!

Why letter writing? Letter writing is a simple way to make change for the animals! At our letter writing events, we write for many different reasons: opposition to the creation of new animal laboratories, support for sending animals to sanctuary, promotion of vegan events and issues through letters to the media, and raising the spirits of activists and comrades who have been jailed for their pro-animal and political actions!

Join local activists to help educate the public about the dangers of purchasing dogs from places like Puppyland. Puppyland is a new store in Puyallup that sells puppies from breeders.

The demo is until 6pm, but don't feel that you have to be there the entire time. Come for an hour or two to help hand out fliers or hold a sign.

This is a peaceful demonstration, inspired by their desire to speak out against the dangers of allowing businesses like Puppyland to exist in our communities. Join them in providing free, educational information to the public

For updates see the Facebook event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/512061562622307/

The University of Washington's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) will be meeting to discuss various research protocols (study designs). This is your chance to voice your opinion about the research on animals that goes on at the UW. Please come and speak for the animals!
The meetings are held at the South Campus Center; Room #342 (in between San Juan Road & Columbia Road); behind the Magnuson Health Sciences Center (1925 N.E. Pacific St) )
http://www.washington.edu/maps/

Unfortunately, they frequently re-schedule or cancel their meetings in an attempt to avoid the public, so please call the Public Affairs Office at 206-543-9180 to make sure the meeting is still happening at the given time.
You can also check out their calendar here (copy & paste link into your browser)
http://oaw.washington.edu/iacuc-meeting-schedule/

This month we will be checking out Travelers Thali House. They have tons of vegan options. See their menu here:
http://www.travelersthalihouse.com/Menu102014.html
The Social Discussion Group is a casual event. Drinkers and non-drinkers are welcome, and you don't have to be vegetarian to participate. We hope you'll join us! Questions? Contact rachel[at]narn[dot]org

Join local activists to help educate the public about the dangers of purchasing dogs from places like Puppyland. Puppyland is a new store in Puyallup that sells puppies from breeders.

The demo is until 3pm, but don't feel that you have to be there the entire time. Come for an hour or two to help hand out fliers or hold a sign.

This is a peaceful demonstration, inspired by their desire to speak out against the dangers of allowing businesses like Puppyland to exist in our communities. Join them in providing free, educational information to the public

For updates see the Facebook event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/406570843449273/

La Cocina School at El Centro de la Raza will be offering a tasty Vegan Tamales Cooking Class in partnership with the Food Empowerment Project! Now is your chance to learn how to make vegan tamales from a master tamalera! The tamales are prepared in the handmade and traditional fashion using cultural ingredients. Sweet sangrias, beer and wine will also be served and is included in the ticket price.

Class will begin promptly at 10:00 AM in the kitchen at El Centro de la Raza. Classes typically take 2.5 to 3 hours long. All cooking supplies and ingredients will be provided, but please bring your own apron.

The money for the La Cocina School at El Centro de la Raza Latin Cooking Classes go to fund El Centro de la Raza's Senior programs.

For updates on this event see
https://www.facebook.com/events/2404477662895760/